Because writing has become so important in our culture, we sometimes think of it as more real than speech. A little thought, however, will show why speech is primary and writing secondary to language. Human beings have been writing at least 5,000 years, but they have been talking for much longer, doubtless ever since there have been human beings. When writing developed, it was derived from and represented speech, although imperfectly. Even today, there are spoken languages that have no written form. Furthermore, we all learn to talk well before we learn to write; any child who is not severely handicapped physically or mentally will learn to talk: a normal man cannot be prevented from doing so. On the other hand, it takes a special effort to learn to write; in the past, many intelligent and useful members of society did not acquire the skill, and even today many who speak languages with writing systems never learn to read or write while some who learn the rudiments of those skills do so imperfectly.

To affirm the primacy of speech over writing is not to disparage the later. One advantage writing has over speech is that it is more permanent and makes possible the records that any civilization must have. Thus, if speaking makes us human, writing makes us civilized.

The word “disparage” in the passage mostly means ........

Câu hỏi liên quan

• The word ‘akin’ in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by __________.

• As mentioned in the text, who are the most active when their team has the ball?

• Which of the following might be the topic of the next paragraph?

ZUNIA12

• According to the author, M.L. _______.

• The word “they” refers to___________.

• The word “they” in paragraph 3 refer to ...........

• The word  “they” in the third paragraph refers to ..............

• The word "inconsequential" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

• The phrase “infringing upon” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _____

• The living things die because there is no ............ in the lake or river.

• Why does the author of the passage mention the report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee (lines 14-15) ?

• What can the word invokes be best replaced by?

• What do pads help the players to protect?

• In what year did Melville’s book about his experiences as a cabin boy appear?

• The word “these" is the first passage refers to_________.

• The word “them” in the last paragraph refers to _____.

• When education first reached women, they were ..............

• The word "perish" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

• How is Briggo’s invention superior to human workers?

• According to the passage, writing ...............